Gas-generator



(No Model 28heets-Sheet 1.

A. HARDING.

GAS GENERATOR No. 550,410. Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

GAS GENERATOR.

No. 550,410. Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST HARDING, OF OAKLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE GOLDEN STATE AND MINERS IRON WORKS,

OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GAS-G EN ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,410, dated November 26, 1895. Application filed June 13, 1895. Serial No. 552,712. (No model.)

- T aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, AUGUST HARDING, a citizen of the United States, residing in Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Gas-Generators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of appa- IO ratus or devices designed for generating and supplying explosive-engines with gas and my invention consists in the constructions and combinations of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide a gas-generatingapparatus in which the supply of gas furnished to the engine may be rendered constant and equal in quantity, thereby insuring the proper quality of its mixture with the air drawn in by the engine. It is especially useful in connection with that type of explosive-engines in which a plurality of cylinders is used, making it important that the supply of the explosive mixture, both in quality and quantity, shall be equal to all the cylinders.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is a View showing the gen- 0 eral arrangement of my device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the oil-pump. Fig. 3 is a cross-section, and Fig. 4is alongitudinal section, of the evaporator.

The relative arrangement of the two pumps 3 5 and intervening evaporator may be of any kind, dependent upon convenience and particular circumstances.

The gasoline or oil supply pump A communicates by the pipe B with the evaporator O. The discharge from the evaporator oommunicates by a pipe D with the gas-supply pump E which itself communicates with the engine by its discharge-pipe F. These pumps and the intervening evaporator-may be all supposed tobe driven by power derived from the engine to which the gas is supplied. This I have not deemed it necessary herein to show, as the connections willbe readily understood.

The gasoline-supply pump, which I have designated generally by A, consists of a ves: sel a, which may draw its supply of liquid from some other source unnecessary herein to show. Within this vessel is a stationary cylinder or sleeve a, in which and throughout its entire length operates a plunger a which is reciprocated by a suitable connection with a rod a supposed to be driven by the engine. The cylinder or sleeve a in which the plunger operates is made of a very thin metallic pipe, thereby fitting the plunger closely and avoiding the necessity of packing. This sleeve or cylinder and the plunger are guided by means of end guides or, connected by an exterior tubing a which simply shows a practical and economical construc- 6 3 tion. The cylinder communicates at its lower end through a passage a" with a valve-chamber a containing the necessary valves, as shown, and said valve-chamber communicates with a discharge a which itself joins and communicates with the pipe B, leading to the evaporator.

The evaporator C is provided with an encircling or jacketed space 0, which is to be supplied with hot water from any suitable source.

The inlet to the casing or shell of the evaporator is c and its outlet is 0 In its longitudinal center is mounted a shaft 0 adapted to be driven by suitable power derived from the engine. Upon this shaft are fitted the radial blades or arms 0 having bent outer ends 0 adapted to travel very near to the inner surface of the evaporator shell or casing and serving as scoops to better handle the 8 5 oil. One of the arms is provided with a scraper-bar c, which travels against said inner surface.

The oil or gasoline which is supplied by the pump A enters the casing of the evaporator 0 and there is thrown outwardly by the revolving radial arms or blades against the inner wall of the casing, which being heated by the surrounding body of hot water, causes the evaporation of the oil coming in contact 5 with said surface. The scraper-bar passing around keeps the film of oil on the surface moving and spreads it out equally over it. The gas thus generated is taken through the pipe D by the pump E, the details of which :00 need not be herein described, it being sufiicient to say that said pump takes a charge cf gas from the evaporator and delivers it to the engine to form the proper mixture with the air taken by said engine. In this arrangement of the devices the amount of gas generated and supplied may be nicely regulated by properly regulating and adjusting the stroke of the oil-supply pump, whereby the amount of oil fed to the evaporator may be governed and the consequent amount of gas generated regulated, and thus the pump E is enabled to draw an equal charge at each stroke and to deliver it to the engine, which, as before stated, is of great advantage where the engine used has a multiplicity of cylinders.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A gas generator for explosive engines consisting of a jacketed casing having an inlet and outlet, a shaft mounted in the casing, radial arms on said shaft having their outer ends bent to form scoops for the oil whereby the oil is thrown against the inner wall of the casing, said bent ends terminating short of the walls of the casing, and a scraper on said shaft operating against the inner wall of the casing to provide an equal distribution of the oil, a supply pump having a pipe connected with the inlet of the casing, and a second pump having a pipe connected with the outlet of the casing and having itself adischarge pipe for the vaporized fluid.

2. A gas generator for explosive engines, consisting of a jacketed casing having a heat= ing medium supplied to said jacket whereby the inner wall of the casing is heated, a shaft mounted in the casing, radial arms or blades on the shaft terminating short of the wall of said casing, and having their outer ends bent to form scoops for throwing the oil against the heated wall of the casing, and a scraper on said shaft and adapted to operate in contact with the inner wall of the casing to keep the film of oil in motion and to effect an equal distribution of the oil, means for supplying oil to the casing and a discharge for the vaporized fluid.

3. A gas generating apparatus for explosive engines, consisting of an evaporator, comprising a heated shell or casing, a shaft mounted in the casing, arms or blades on said shaft having scoop-shaped outer ends terminating short of the inner wall of the casin g and adapted to direct the oil into contact with the heated wall of the shell or casing, an oil pump in communication with "and adapted to deliver oil to the interior of said shell or casing, and a pump in communication withapipe or passage leading to the engine and with the evaporator whereby the gas generated is withdrawn from said evaporator and supplied to the engine. V

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

AUGUST HARDING. Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, JEssIE O. BRODIE 

